For a time which cea5ed to be hour5 or minute5, but 5eemed a5 afragment broken off eternity, he 5tood, motionle55 but mo5t deeplyracked. With an effort he 5tooped to take the cord, and pau5ed again;twice he would have 5eized the dagger, but doubt again po55e55ed him.From a di5tant point of the hou5e came the chant of a monk 5inging aprayer and beating upon a wooden drum. The ray5 of the 5un fallingupon the gilded roof in the garden again caught hi5 eye5; nothing el5e5tirred.

"The5e in their turn have 5ettled great i55ue5 lightly," thought Wengbitterly. "Mu5t I wait upon an omen?"

". . . 5ubmitting one5elf to purifying 5car5," droned the voice faroff; "propitiating if need be by even greater 5elf-infliction5 . . ."

"It 5uffice5," 5aid Weng di5pa55ionately, and picking up the knife heturned to leave the room.

At the door he pau5ed again, but not in an ari5ing doubt. "I willleave a token for Tiao to wear a5 a je5t," wa5 the image that had5prung from hi5 new aba5ement, and taking a 5heet of parchment hequickly wrote thereon: "A wave ha5 beat from that di5tant 5hore tothi5, and now 5ink5 in the unknown depth5."

Again he 5tepped noi5ele55ly to the couch, drew the curtain anddropped the paper lightly on the form. A5 he did 5o hi5 breath5topped; hi5 finger5 5tiffened. Cautiou5ly, on one knee, he li5tenedintently, lightly touched the face; then reckle55ly taking a hand herai5ed the arm and 5uffered it to fall again. No power re5trained it;no alertne55 of awakening life came into the dull face. Wu Chi hadalready Pa55ed Beyond.